Supplies You REALLY Need in a Quarantine

The shelves are emptying and the country is in panic, but do you have what you need to stay healthy during an extended time at home?

As COVID-19 sweeps the country, it looks like quarantine is on the horizon. The good news is that grocery stores will remain open so we can continue to get supplies. But, the question remains – what do you really need during prolonged times of social distance, illness, and even quarantine?

Start with the Basics

Good health starts with the basics – clean indoor air, clean water, and clean, nutrient-dense food. Do you have a whole house air filtration system that kills viruses and harmful contaminants? If not, you may want to at least invest in a personal air purifier like this one.

You may think municipal water systems provide clean water right to your tap, but in recent years this couldn’t be further from the truth – everything from heavy metals like lead to pharmaceuticals and harmful chemicals are in the water supply. Rather than rushing to the store to buy bottled water that is full of plastics, get a good quality water filter tailored to your water supply’s unique issues.

Immune-Boosting Foods

There’s nothing more important to your overall health than eating a clean diet low in sugars and processed foods. Soups and stews are the superstars when you’re fighting a virus or trying to stay healthy during an outbreak. Broths are rich in electrolytes like potassium, amino acids, and even collagen, along with other immune-boosting nutrients, and are easily digested. I like to save my organic vegetable and herb scraps and store them in the freezer until I have enough to make a savory broth with them.

Stock up on staples, especially those that are shelf-stable. Experts are recommending you have enough on hand to last for 2 weeks at a time. Here is a list of the immune-boosting organic foods I’ve stocked up on:

• Root vegetables and herbs – beets, daikon radish, celeriac, carrots, winter squash, onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric
• Soup vegetables – celery, leeks, cauliflower, broccoli, watercress
• Manuka honey
• Nuts, seeds, and their oils, flours, and “butters” (especially hempseed)
• Bone broth (best to make your own and freeze the extra)
• Coconut milk (canned and free of carageenan)
• Real Salt (or Celtic sea salt)
• Miso (I like South River brand)
• Sauerkraut (unheated and unpasteurized)
• Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother)
• Grassfed meats
• Pastured poultry and eggs
• Monk Fruit Sweetener
• Frozen vegetables and berries
• Fresh lemons and limes
• Purity Coffee and Pique Tea

My Natural Medicine Chest

Ideally, we will all spend the next weeks at home, staying well-rested, well-nourished, hydrated, healthy, and enjoying some down time. I would also add nasal saline irrigation, saltwater gargles, and hydrogen peroxide mouth rinses to my hand washing and daily care to reduce the chances of an infection taking hold when I’ve had to leave my home. There are also supplements I take regularly to support my immunity and avoid illness, and there are also supplements I have on-hand in case I do start to experience symptoms. Here’s a sneak peek into what I keep in my natural supplement arsenal.

My UNI KEY Health must-haves during times of widespread illness:

• Para-Key and Verma-Plus – my go-to when travelling, cleansing, or when I know I’ve been exposed to an illness or parasite
• Vitality-C – a gentle higher dose vitamin C powder
• Vitamin D3 – I get mine in Osteo-Key, my preferred bone health supplement
• Daily Greens – especially good when you can’t get fresh greens from the store or garden, I use this daily during cold and flu outbreaks for the immune-boosting nutrients
• Female Multiple – fills in the gaps when I’m not getting optimal levels of vitamins and minerals, or when I’m under stress and need more
• Whey Protein Powder – a delicious, protein-packed alternative to milk in recipes, A2 whey protein also contains immune factors, essential amino acids, and powerful antioxidants
• HCl+2 – optimal stomach acid is one of the body’s first lines of defense against unwanted invaders, including viruses. Most adults need more stomach acid – not less – especially as we advance in age.

Other Herbals and Homeopathics:

• Oil of Oregano
• Lomatium
• Oscillococcinum
• Elderberry Syrup
• Bioplasma (a formulation of the 12 cell salts)
• Gelsemium sempervirens 30c (for exhaustion, weakness, and lethargy)
• Arnica montana 30c (for muscle pains, stiffness)
• Activated charcoal
• Selenium
• Iodoral
• Zinc

Another thing to consider having on-hand if you have a history of respiratory issues is a hand-held nebulizer with pure baking soda and distilled water.

Healthy Home Essentials

Good health begins with a healthy home. Non-toxic cleaning products are just as effective as the chemical alternatives and are kinder to our environment and our bodies. To prevent having to frequent local stores, consider ordering these supplies online:

• Air and water filtration
• Infrared sauna
• Shampoo and soap
• Steam inhaler with aromatic herbs/essential oils like eucalyptus, peppermint, and tea tree
• Cleansers, including Clorox (with Cloromax) bleach, white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda
• Dishwashing soap and sponges
• Laundry detergent
• Cotton swabs, paper towels, and toilet paper
• Personal hygiene and cleansing/skin care products
• Dental floss, toothpaste, and oral rinses (household hydrogen peroxide is a good, natural alternative)
• Saline nasal irrigation supplies with buffered saline or a nasal saline spray (without additives)

Avoid Anti-Inflammatories

If you’ll notice, nowhere on these lists is ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory medications. France’s health minister, Olivier Veran, a prominent neurologist, warns that anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen and cortisone could be making COVID-19 infections worse. These anti-inflammatories are already known to be a risk when you have an infectious illness because they are suppressing the body’s natural immune response, so they are best to avoid during acute illness whenever possible. Good alternatives include homeopathic Arnica montana and catnip tea.